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Back Vortex Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. Epilogue
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. About the Author
  60. Also by Catherine Coulter
  61. About the Publisher

Sherlock was waiting for her in a small café near the campaign headquarters. Mia slid into the booth across from her, gave her a fist bump. “He’s first-rate at cat and mouse, Sherlock, played the game like a pro. Hardly any tells, but I saw them.”

Sherlock fist-bumped her back. “It sounds like you hit exactly the right note.” She pointed down at a steaming mug. “Tea, Dillon’s favorite, plain. Drink it, Mia, it’ll warm you up.”

Mia poured in milk and added two fake sugars, clicked her mug to Sherlock’s.

Sherlock said, “Tommy called a few minutes ago. I told you he’d tracked down the cars registered to Alex Harrington and Kent Harper seven years ago—a red Jaguar XJ12 and a BMW 330i, and their license plates. He called Creighton’s police chief, asked him to look again at the photos they’d collected from students’ cell phones at the rave. Great piece of luck—turns out we’ve got a red Jaguar with a visible out-of-state license plate. It belonged to Harrington. A big nail, Mia, a very big nail.”

“That’s amazing—but, it’s not enough, is it?”

Sherlock took Mia’s hand in hers and squeezed. “No, but it is the first big nail. It puts them at the rave. It means we’re on our way. Everything’s going to move fast now.” Sherlock’s cell belted out Post Malone’s “Into the Spider-Verse.” She listened, tapped off, gave Mia a big smile. “Good timing, she’s on her way. We’ll meet her there.”

39

Mia and Juliet

Harper Building at 320 Madison Avenue

Harper Strategic Services

New York

Thursday, late afternoon

When the express elevator door opened directly onto the executive offices on the forty-fifth floor, they saw Mrs. Wallaby, Kent Harper’s administrative assistant, pulling a brocade handbag out of a drawer. Mia walked forward. “Thank you so much for waiting for us, Mrs. Wallaby.”

Mrs. Wallaby smiled at Mia, looked beyond her. “Three of you? Well, I did tell Mr. Harper you, Ms. Briscoe, would be coming by. Poor young man, he’s up to his neck in contract negotiations. I hope you have some pleasant news to make him smile.”

“I don’t know about that, but I’ll certainly try to make him forget the contracts.”

Mrs. Wallaby’s eyes locked on Sherlock. “Goodness me, you’re Agent Sherlock.” And she hurried around her desk, thrust out her hand. Sherlock obligingly shook it.

“Such a pleasure to meet you. Kent will be so pleased to meet you as well, and to see you again, Ms. Briscoe. He never says much, but he was smiling the rest of the day after you left. I have to say, though, he hasn’t quite been himself today. I suppose it’s the stress of work. I’m sure the three of you will make him feel better.”

Mia said, “Isn’t business good?”